#7 Steve Jobs' Speech in Stanford

Good words
1. biological (adj.) related by birth
2. relent (v.) to act in a less severe way towards someone and allow something that you had refused to allow before
3. stumble (v.) to step awkwardly while walking or running and fall or begin to fall
4. calligraphy (n.) (the art of producing) beautiful writing, often created with a special pen or brush
5. typography (n.) the design of the writing in a piece of printing or on a computer screen

Opinion:
     I think all three stories Steve Jobs shared in the speech are inspiring. It seems that there was nothing in common in these three stories. But when you look back, there is one thing in common. You learned a lesson from each experience.
     I have worked as a English teacher assistant for five years. At first, I wasn't sure it's a good job or not. After these five years, I have learned a lot of things that I can't learn from other jobs. Being a teacher isn't a funny job. It's very tiring. There's always parents or children with special concepts, and I learn how to deal with them.
     Now is probably the hardest time in my studies. But I know every sweat will turn into achievement in the end. Just like the story Steve Jobs shared in the speech. You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backward.

#6 English song

This time, I'd like to share a song I like very much. It's "we don't talk anymore."

Lyrics

[Charlie / Selena]

We don't talk anymore!

We don't talk anymore!

We don't talk anymore!

Like we used to do...

We don't love anymore

What was all of it for?

Ohh, we don't talk anymore

(Like we used to do...)

I just heard you found the one you've been looking

You've been looking for

I wish I would have known that wasn't me

'Cause even after all this time I still wonder

Why I can't move on

Just the way you did so easily

Don't wanna know

What kind of dress you're wearing tonight

If he's holding onto you so tight

The way I did before

I overdosed

Should've known your love was a game

Now I can't get you out of my brain

(Ohh, it's such a shame...)

That we don't talk anymore

We don't talk anymore

We don't talk anymore

Like we used to do

We don't love anymore

What was all of it for?

Ohh, we don't talk anymore

Like we used to do

I just hope you're lying next to somebody

Who knows how to love you like me

There must be a good reason that you're gone

Every now and then I think you

Might want me to come show up at your door

But I'm just too afraid that I'll be wrong

Don't wanna know

If you're looking into her eyes

If she's holding onto you so tight the way I did before

I overdosed

Should've known your love was a game

Now I can't get you out of my brain

Oh, it's such a shame

That we don't talk anymore

(We don't we don't)

We don't talk anymore

(We don't we don't)

We don't talk anymore

Like we used to do

We don't love anymore

(We don't we don't)

What was all of it for?

(We don't we don't)

Oh, we don't talk anymore

Like we used to do

(Beat break)

Like we used to do

Don't wanna know

What kind of dress you're wearing tonight

If he's giving it to you just right

The way I did before

I overdosed

Should've known your love was a game

Now I can't get you out of my brain

Oh, it's such a shame

That we don't talk anymore

(We don't we don't)

We don't talk anymore

(We don't we don't)

We don't talk anymore

Like we used to do

We don't love anymore

(We don't we don't)

What was all of it for?

(We don't we don't)

Oh, we don't talk anymore

Like we used to do

(We don't talk anymore)

Don't wanna know

What kind of dress you're wearing tonight (Oh)

If he's holding onto you so tight (Oh)

The way I did before

(We don't talk anymore)

I overdosed

Should've known your love was a game (Oh)

Now I can't get you out of my brain (Woah)

Oh, it's such a shame

That we don't talk anymore...

Vocabulary

1. overdose (v.) too much of something, especially something harmful

The reason why I like this song

The first time I listened to this song, I didn't listen to the original version. I listened a cover by some amateurs. There are four of them, and they sing extremely well. So, I was curious about the original version of this song. The cover is awesome, so its original version should be also great. I was surprised that the female singer of this song is Selena Gomez. She is one of my favorite female singers. I like her voice very much. That's why I choose to share this song.

#5 All Ears English - 3 Strategies for Understanding Natives When They Speak Fast

I choose a topic called "3 Strategies for Understanding Natives When They Speak Fast." Because I think it's very useful for English learners.

Followings are the 3 strategies:

1) Pay attention to the “flap” or the “tap”: Americans use this sound to replace a T sound when it comes in the middle of a word. Americans pronounce “better” by replacing the T sound with a D sound. Another example would be the word “matter” or “water” or “city” or “meeting.” If you are expecting natives to pronounce it with the D sound then you will be able to recognize the word quickly when you need to.

2) Expect natives to use “trimming”: When Americans speak quickly they cut out the sounds in longer words. It happens with “L” in “love,” “N” in “no” and “R” in “Reed”. Americans drop out the middle vowel when they speak fast so instead of saying “family” and pronouncing every syllable they say “fam-ly.” We also see this pattern in words like “average” and “bravery” and “camera.”

3) Expect natives to push all of their words together: They don’t pronounce every single word separately. The words get linked together. If a word ends with a consonant and the second word begins with a vowel like “an easy test” the native speaker would link together the first two words in the sentence.

Opinion:

Actually, I don't really like this website although they are trying to teach us useful information. Their podcast content is too casual, and there are too many ads in there. In my opinion, studio classroom is better.